Z A Valentine Rendezvous Complete
by Fanatical Writer
Summary: Penelope and Derek get a second chance at forever when fate throws them together again for Valentine's Day. A follow up to my Christmas story, A Holiday Tryst.
1. Prologue

**Author's Note: This is a follow up to my Christmas story, A Holiday Tryst. While it's not essential to read that one first, I do think it would make reading **

**A Valentine Rendezvous a lot more fun! Thanks for reading, and I hope you enjoy! Happy early Valentine's Day! - Angie**

Derek Morgan sighed as he tiredly ran a hand over his face. This had gone a lot quicker than they'd expected, but man…had it been intense with the local police station. The team had been called to Boston to help find a serial rapist who'd attacked more than eighteen women. It really _pissed_ Derek off that the department had waited so long to call them in. More than eighteen women, broken and battered all because someone had been too prideful to admit they were in over their heads. Somebody better deal with _that_ shit.

Only when pressure had been put on from the media and the local citizens had they called in the BAU. _Too many women too late,_ in Derek's opinion. Hotch's too, if his words to the press were any indication. Hotch rarely lost control, but when he did…the man blew his top off. Derek thought it did him good once in a while.

It had taken less than two days to catch the UnSub: a man the department had already interviewed as a suspect. But because local police had honed in on someone else by that time, they'd missed the evidence incriminating him entirely and let him go. Derek was so mad he could spit. For God's sake, _Penelope _lived in this city! Law enforcement needed to be more capable than this!

He looked at his watch. It was six-thirty and since one of the other departments had needed the jet, they wouldn't be flying out for another three hours. Jack's birthday was tomorrow, and Hotch was determined he was going to be there for it this year.

But three hours…he wanted to see Penelope, dammitt! He knew she'd said that what they'd had over Christmas was finished, but at this moment, he really didn't give a fuck. He wanted to see her, and he wanted to see her now. She was going to have to get over it.

He pulled out his cell phone and hit number six on his speed dial, not bothering to wait for a greeting when the Technical Analyst at the other end picked up.

"Lynch, I need you to look up an address for me," Derek said abruptly.

"Sure. What's the name?" Kevin asked.

"Penelope Garcia," Derek answered.

"Is this for business? Because if it's not—"

"Lynch. Don't be a fuckin' pussy. Just look up the address for me." It didn't take a profiler to figure out that a little strong-arming could get you exactly what you wanted from Kevin Lynch-legal or not.

Less than twenty minutes later, Derek was driving slowly through her district; he was pleased to see that unlike so many other Boston neighborhoods, it wasn't in disrepair. It actually appeared to be a pretty safe location.

He'd just seen the sign indicating her apartment complex and was turning in when out of nowhere, a bronze colored Cadillac sped past him, narrowly missing the black SUV he was in. He laid on the horn and refrained from flipping the other driver off—not they would have seen anyway; it was dark out.

He quickly parked the vehicle, and headed for her apartment. There were no lights on and he couldn't hear anything from inside, but he knocked anyway, hoping against hope she was there. After waiting for a few more minutes it was clear she wasn't, so he headed back to the SUV. He sat there for almost two hours, until Hotch called and told him the plane was leaving a little earlier than planned.

Derek had no choice but to leave. Clearly it hadn't been meant to be.


	2. Chapter 1

**Author's Note: Thank you so much to everyone who took the time to review! =) Here's the next installment-enjoy! - Angie**

Penelope Garcia stood in the candy aisle of her local grocery store perusing the Valentine's Day display. It was a bad habit she'd gotten herself into—substituting her craving for Derek Morgan with chocolate. She'd tried to up her time on the treadmill to compensate, but it just wasn't working. It probably would have helped if she'd moved the dark chocolate confections into the kitchen while she attempted her workouts, but they looked so cute in the decorative purple bowl on her end table that she just left them there. And then, sure enough, as soon as she got her treadmill, they called to her. _Penelope… _The sound was silky smooth, deep, mesmerizing…the sound (the one that didn't exist) actually _washed_ over her. The damn chocolates sounded just like Derek!

And that was when Penelope realized what a heap of trouble she was in. She hadn't thought it possible, but she'd actually fallen for a man in a matter of days. If there was anything she was careful with, it was her heart. She'd been in enough relationships to know that when it came to her, men weren't the staying kind. So she'd thrown her caution to the wind, and her body towards the 'player' she'd roomed with for her brother's wedding. Only to find out he wasn't a player at all. She sighed at the thought. That had been just her luck. Not only had he been hot as hell, but he'd had an amazing personality. And he'd actually acted like he'd adored her. _Her. _Penelope Garcia. Who had never kept a man's attention for more than two months. Granted, they'd only been together for a few days… but still, if she'd let herself, she could have gotten used to that adoring look. And that had scared the hell out of her.

With a sigh, she picked up the package of Dove chocolates and just as she began to walk away, her phone started to ring. She stopped in the middle of the aisle and reached into the front pocket of her purse and pulled out her cell phone. After checking the caller ID, she flipped it open. "Hello?" she said.

"Hey. How's my lucky Penny?" Paxton asked.

Penelope giggled at her brother's nickname for her. Her dad had dubbed her 'Lucky Penny' when she was a little girl, and Pax was the only one who still used the term of endearment. She'd never tell him that she loved it when he called her that; it was their game. She pretended to hate it, and he pretended to razz her with it. She groaned. "Pax, I'm not a little girl anymore," she insisted.

"But you'll always be my little sister," he reminded her.

Penelope sighed. "How's it going?"

"It's…actually going really well," he told her. "In fact…I have some news."

Penelope's stomach dropped to her toes. "You do?" she asked miserably.

"Penny, what's wrong?" he asked quickly.

"The last time you said you had news, you were deployed," she muttered.

"Nope. No deployment. Not right now, anyway," he told her.

"What is it, then?" she asked.

"You ready for this, Pen?" he said, and then paused dramatically. "I'm getting married!"

"Y—you're getting _married_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yep. On Valentine's day," he continued.

"Pax, who in the hell are you marrying? I didn't even know you were _dating_," she said. Her brother…her unromantic big brother was getting married on the most romantic day of the year?

Her brother cleared his throat. "Get this. Remember Desiree's sister?" he asked.

"Sarah, yes," Penelope said dryly. She could still remember all of the mean things the Morgan sisters had said about their brother and realized she hadn't quite forgiven them. Granted they'd said it in love, but the fact of the matter was they'd _still_ said it. It suddenly dawned on Penelope what her brother was telling her. "Yo—You're marrying _Sarah?" _Penelope asked.

"Yep," Paxton said. "And…I know it's only really short notice, but do you think you can make it?" he asked hopefully.

"Pax, that's two weeks," she said, her mind still reeling. Sweet Lord, was _everyone _in her family marrying a Morgan except for her?

"I know, but I'd really like for you to be here. Pay, Preston, and Paul are all going to be here," he informed her, and then, in a softer voice, "It's been a long time since we were all together, Penny."

She groaned. He was pulling out the family card? The big jerk. "I'll see what I can do," she said in a resigned tone of voice.

"That's my girl," he said cheerfully.

And then, Penelope's eyes widened as her mind started going at warp speed. Did this mean…? Was she going to see Derek again?

"And you know, Sarah's family is going to be here, too," he told her.

Penelope marched back over to the Valentine display and thrust the chocolates back on the shelf. If she was going to see Derek again, she needed to rid herself of the ten pounds she'd put on in the last five weeks!

"Except for her brother," Pax said, bursting her bubble. "He couldn't get the time off on such short notice."

With a huff, Penelope picked up the bag of chocolates once again, started walking away as she listened to Paxton prattle on, and then turned around and snatched up a second bag. She had a feeling she was going to be having a _lot_ of cravings tonight.

* * *

Penelope traipsed up the stairs trying to catch her breath. Her brother's were _awfully_ big huggers. They'd all picked her up at the airport, and when they'd arrived back at Paxton's, there was a note from the women saying they'd left to get something for supper. Preston had brought her things upstairs to the guest room, and after more hugging, she'd managed to finally get away. _Second door on the right_ Paxton had said. She was walking down the hallway past the first room when a hand reached out, secured her wrist, and tugged her through the open doorway. She screeched in surprise and a hand clamped over her mouth. "Sssh!"

She recognized his scent immediately and sagged against him. "What are you doing here?" she asked in surprise—and relief.

"I was afraid if you knew I was going to be here, you wouldn't come," he told her, his eyes swarming with need.

Penelope flipped the light on, closed the door, and proceeded to lock it. She lifted an eyebrow at him and walked slowly back towards him. "Oh, I'm gonna come," she assured him in a throaty voice.

"Your brother's will _kill_ me," he practically yelped.

She stepped forward and licked the side of his neck when he tugged nervously at his collar.

"Penelope," he hissed.

"What?" she asked distractedly, blowing on the wet spot she'd just left on his neck.

"Of, fuck," he said with a shiver. Giving in to his desire, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her close, his mouth lowering down onto hers for a searing kiss. When he broke it, his breaths were coming in gasps. "There's no time for foreplay," he warned.

"That's OK," she said, opening the buttons on his shirt. "I've been wet since I left Chicago."

He lifted an eyebrow at her. "Funny. I've been hard just as long."


	3. Chapter 2

**Author's Note: Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! I'm having a case of insomnia and decided to put my time to good use, so here's another one! LOL I hope you enjoy this installment just as much! - Angie**

He'd thrust her against the wall, using her shoulders to pin her in place as he kissed a trail down her neck to the valley between her breasts while she opened the buttons on her shirt. "Derek," she whispered frantically as his hand shoved the fabric of her shirt away, his mouth closing over a lace clad nipple. "Oh, God," she moaned. "This is going to have to be the quickest damn quickie in the history of quickies," she told him.

He lifted his head long enough to smirk at her and say, "Tongue twister."

She groaned. "Oh, that tongue," she said, forgetting about her buttons and grabbing his head with both hands; she lifted his face to hers, her mouth covering his for a desperate kiss. His tongue thrust forth, tangling with hers. She sighed softly at his familiar taste. When he reached for the remaining closed buttons, she pushed his hands away and turned her head to the side to halt their kiss. "Forget about my damn buttons," she ordered. "We don't have time for that. My panties. Get rid of my panties."

She felt the fabric of her skirt move up her thighs and Derek's fingers looped beneath the waistband of her underwear.

"Penny?" they heard from the bottom of the stairs.

"Oh, _crap_," she whispered, her head thudding against the wall as it fell backwards. "Yeah?" she managed to croak out loudly enough to be heard.

"Pizza's here," Preston told her.

Derek sighed, his face falling frontward so his forehead was resting on her chest. "Fuck," he said in a low voice as he froze in place.

"Be right down!" Penelope yelled back, her tone tense. She waited a moment for Derek to spring into action, but he didn't. After a minute, she lowered her hands so they were resting on his. "Derek?" she prompted softly.

"Yeah, baby?" he said, his voice clearly strained.

"If you take your hands out of the waistband of my panties, I'm going to be able to fix myself faster," she told him in an amused tone, the corners of her lips lifting. "Which means my brothers will be less likely to find out about us, and you'll be more likely to live."

With a defeated sigh, he dropped his hands and she pulled her skirt back down, straightening it as he took a step back from her. Suddenly she gasped. "Oh, no!"

"What?" he asked looking around.

"My sister-in-laws are here!" she said.

"Right…" he said, waiting for her to clarify.

"My brother's are nothing but big oafs; they're _clueless_ when it comes to me! But my sister-in-laws? They'll know the second they look at me that you've been feeling me up! They're like hawks! Crap!" she said again, running her hands through her hair.

"No one knows I'm here yet," he told her. "Well, except for you. You go downstairs, and I'll…arrive."

"You'll _what_?" she asked.

Derek leaned forward and gave her a quick kiss. "Get your surprised face ready," he told her, quietly unlocking the door. He stuck his head out and when he didn't see anyone, he started to leave, but quickly turned back around. "I swear to God, if I don't have you soon, the head of my cock is gonna blow off."

Penelope burst into deep, throaty laughter…and Derek had all he could do to leave her standing there all rumpled and sexy.

* * *

Penelope took the stairs slowly, using the time to even out her breathing. Derek was here! She hadn't expected him to be—Paxton had told her he wasn't coming, and yet he'd shown up. To see _her_. Of course he was here for the wedding, too, but he'd told her he wanted to see her.

She released a sigh of contentment as she stepped down off the last stair and rounded the corner into the kitchen. Preston's wife, Helena and Paul's wife, Jessica screeched and headed for her at top speed as soon as she walked into the room. The plied her with hugs, giggling as they pulled away. "Oh," Helena said breathlessly. "Look at what we did to her, Jessica! She looks flushed."

Penelope laughed nervously. "Lotta hugs going around tonight," she commented dryly.

* * *

They'd all taken seats in the living room, several of them on the floor enjoying their pizza with light conversation. The topic, as it always did when her brother's wives were around, turned to her. "So, you're still single, Penelope?" Jessica asked.

Penelope was saved by answering when the doorbell started to ring. "Come in," Paxton said loudly, comfortable with his spot on the floor next to Sarah.

The front door opened, and there was the sound of footsteps until Derek appeared in the entrance to the living room, suitcase in hand. "Hey," he said, putting the single piece of luggage down by his side.

"Derek!" Sarah and Desiree said in unison.

Penelope's eyes widened in surprise. How in the _hell_ had he done that?

* * *

"I don't want her staying in the same house as him!" she heard Preston whisper to Helena. "I've heard stories about him!"

"She's a big girl, Pres," Helena responded in the same hushed tone. But hers was slightly amused.

Penelope had to do something. If there was anyway she was going to get Derek into bed tonight—and she was bound and determined she was—then they had to be in the same house.

"So, I never did get to answer your question, Jessica," Penelope said, purposely steering the conversation in her direction.

"Oooh, right," she said. "Your love life. What's going on?"

"I actually met a guy," she said with feigned enthusiasm.

"Do tell," Helena said, moving to sit on the edge of the couch cushion.

Penelope grinned. "Well, there's not much to tell. _Yet,_" she said pointedly. "We've only been out on a couple of dates, but I've got a feeling about this one!"

Derek abruptly got up and left the room; Penelope had to fight everything within her not to let her eyes follow his departure. She gave a few more details about her pretend potential boyfriend before clearing her throat and pretending to cough. "I need a drink," she said, springing to her feet and heading for the kitchen.

As soon as she reached the room, Derek rounded on her. "_I_ didn't know you were seeing someone!" he hissed angrily. "Don't you think that's something I'd want to know before I stuck my fucking tongue down your throat?"

Penelope cleared her throat as she looked up at him unblinking. God, he was sexy when he was jealous—at least, she _assumed_ this was jealousy. "I'm _not_ seeing anyone," she assured him. "But Preston was freaking out because _apparently_ wherever you go, your reputation precedes you. So if I hadn't taken quick action, I wouldn't be seeing _you_ tonight. I'd probably be at a hotel sandwiched in between him and Helena. You're much more appealing, Cowboy."

Derek didn't say anything for a minute, just stood there studying her face with a shrewd look on his own. "Oh," he finally said.

"Is that…all you have to say?" she asked in an amused tone.

He looked her up and down, and then lifted an eyebrow in obvious appreciation. "Is that what you were wearing earlier when I pulled you into my room?" he asked.

She looked down at her outfit. "Yes," she answered with a confused frown.

"Damn," he said grinning. "I love those legs. I was so horny to get you into bed that I completely missed what you were wearing."

Penelope supposed she could have been offended, but the statement actually made her heart race. He'd wanted her that bad?

That was good; that was _really_ good.


	4. Chapter 3

**Author's Note: Thank you so much for the reviews for last chapter. FYI—I think the Dove chocolates in this story make it a love triangle! LOL**

**~ Angie**

It had been half an hour since she'd crawled into bed, and still…no Derek. Where in the hell was he? At this rate, she was going to have to dip into her emergency stash of those Dove chocolates—and she really didn't want to do that!

Still, three minutes later, she climbed out of bed and pulled her suitcase out from underneath it. She unzipped the top and reached inside, pulling out an unopened package of the Dove's. She crawled back onto the mattress so she was sitting against the headboard and tugged angrily at the sides of the bag. She let out a light screech as the bag broke open, chocolates flying all over the bed. She opened one and popped it into her mouth, then flattened the wrapper so she could read it:

The most enjoyable experiences are often free

Well, that may be, but she'd give a million bucks to have Derek Morgan in her bed right now!

She swallowed her chocolate, quickly opening another one before she could think twice. This wasn't something she really wanted to talk herself out of right now.

Temptation is fun, giving in is better…

She groaned as she read the second wrapper. She knew _that_ to be true, and she'd employ those words if only Derek was standing in front of her.

Her eyes flew to the door when she heard the lightest of knocks. "Just a minute," she hissed, shoving the chocolates along with the empty wrappers inside the bag and then up underneath her pillow. "Come in."

The door opened slowly, and Derek unhurriedly made his way into the room. His hungry eyes took her in, looking her up and down. Penelope was immediately on her knees at the edge of the mattress, her hands nervously gripping the hem of her short nightdress. She was finally going to get to have him again. Her head knew it had been weeks, but the way her body was aching made it clear that _it_ wasn't so enlightened. Her tongue flicked out and ran slowly across her lower lip as he approached her wordlessly, not stopping until her breasts were pressing against his chest.

He appeared to be a patient man, far more patient than she was. She couldn't wait—she threw her arms around his neck and let her weight sink into him, their bodies meshing together as he stepped forward, his arms wrapping tightly around her waist. He dropped his lips on hers, his tongue thrusting forth wildly. She wiggled herself in an effort to get closer to him, but it was useless; the only thing separating them was his t-shirt and her nighty—it was too much. She reached her hands up underneath his t-shirt, her hands wandering aimlessly over his hot skin. She just needed to touch him—it didn't matter where.

He tore his lips away from hers and stepped back. "What the—?"

"Your door doesn't lock," he informed her, his breathing uneven.

"Does yours?" she asked shrilly.

He put a finger to his lips as he grinned. "Sssh," he reminded her. "No. And Paxton and Sarah are still awake."

Penelope sighed and choked on a fake sob. "No nookie tonight?" she asked miserably.

"No nookie tonight," he confirmed.

Penelope returned to her previous position on the mattress, straightened her nighty over her thighs, and reached up under her pillow. She pulled out the bag of heart shaped chocolates once again. If she kept this up, she might as well buy stock in the company. She held one out to Derek and he accepted as he climbed onto the mattress beside her.

"You buy your chocolate by the bag?" he asked in amusement as he opened his and popped it in his mouth. He started to crumple up the wrapper but stopped when Penelope gasped.

"What?" he asked urgently.

"You can't throw the wrapper away before you read it!" she exclaimed.

He frowned as he looked at the red wrapper. "It says 'Dove,'" he told her.

She rolled her eyes. "Flip it over," she said.

He turned the foil over and read aloud, "Push yourself to do one thing a week outside your comfort zone."

Penelope's eyes lit up. "It might as well have said have sex behind an unlocked door with the chance of being maimed!" she told him excitedly.

"Nice try, Princess," he said, reaching for another piece of the candy. He opened it, passed her the chocolate, and then read aloud again, "Strength is the capacity to break a chocolate bar into four pieces with your bare hands –and then eat just one of the pieces." He turned to look at her, his lips twitching. "I swear to God—if you break _my _chocolate bar into four pieces, I'll kill you."

She giggled as she chewed on the piece of chocolate, and Derek frowned. "What's the appeal with these? They're not as good as…Hershey's Kisses," he said.

She grabbed the bag and smoothed it out as best she could, running her finger along the bottom. "Silky Smooth Dark Chocolate Promises," he read.

She nodded. "They were a substitute," she explained.

"For what?" he asked.

"Well…"

"For…for _me_?" he asked in disbelief.

He was answered by the charming blush of her cheeks.

"Darlin'," he said in a low growl. "I can make you promises until the cows come home. I have some silky smoothness for ya, too," he informed her.

Penelope groaned and her eyes flew to the arousal between his legs.

Derek chuckled. "Stop looking at it," he warned her. "You can't have it. Right now, anyway."

She lifted her eyes to his, a seductive smile on her face. "But…every time I look at it, it gets bigger," she said, a teasing lilt in her voice.

"Of course it does," he agreed. "You're my north. It wants to point to you." He winked at her, and she groaned.

"Oh, my _God_," Penelope said as the mirth over took her.

"Sssh," he said again. "Do you want Paxton in here?"

"Definitely not," she said. "Can't we just…?"

"No!" he said firmly. "If we start to _'just'_—it will lead to more. And trust me, Penelope. I remember how loud you are. Even when I'm _just_ kissing you."

"Well, you're a really good kisser," she muttered.

"Gee," Derek said dryly. "Thanks a lot. That tone was _damn_ convincing."

Penelope giggled. "I'm sorry," she told him. "It was said in longing. It's been a _really _long time, Derek."

"Have you…?"

"I haven't been with anyone since Chicago," she told him quickly."

"Good," he said, nodding fervently. "That's…good."

"And you?" she asked.

"Been shaking hands with the sheriff," he told her.

Penelope's eyes began to dance. "You know what that means," she said.

He gave her a confused look.

"You're gonna be like…a minute man."

"Minute?" Derek said as his brows drew together. "Penelope, you'll be lucky if I can last thirty seconds."

Penelope couldn't hold back a shiver. Thirty seconds sounded pretty damn good right about now.


	5. Chapter 4

**Author's Note: Thanks again for all of the reviews for last chapter! I hope you enjoy reading this one as much as I enjoyed writing it! =P ~ Angie**

* * *

Penelope let the curtain fall back as Paxton and Sarah drove away, slipped her panties off from under her nighty, and then practically sprinted for the bathroom. "Crap," she said when she tried the doorknob. She made her way back to the room she was staying in and searched frantically for her wallet. When she finally found it, she flipped through until she found her debit card, and then went back to the bathroom door. Within seconds, she had the flimsy lock undone and the door shoved open.

She'd felt the moisture between her thighs when she'd finally drifted off to sleep last night. Of course, it had been nothing compared to the flood on the sheets this morning when she'd awoken after a night of erotic 'Derek dreams.' Oh, she'd had them before, but never when he was just ten feet away from her on the other side of the damn wall.

She threw back the shower curtain, revealing a naked Derek beneath the spray of water. She grinned as she realized he hadn't lied…he _had_ been shaking hands with the sheriff. He froze for a moment, and she took the opportunity to study his body—every muscle was pronounced, corded and sleek. When she lifted her eyes to his, he graced her with a lazy grin, then began pumping his fist over his erection, his eyes locked on hers.

She swallowed past the lump of desire in her throat. She'd never watched a man masturbate before…it was much more erotic than she'd expected it to be. He moved so he was sideways to her, his arm reaching out for the wall in front of him so he could brace himself. He looked so sexy, the water droplets running down over his body as he moaned with need.

_Oh, no, _Penelope thought. _No, no, no. _This just wasn't good enough. If Derek wanted to get off—and it was clear he did—it was going to be by _her _hand. Not his own. Not this time, anyway.

When he turned his head to look at her, his eyes filled with desire, she reached for the hem of her nighty and pulled it off over her head.

He shook his head as if in disbelief. "You're even more fucking beautiful than I remember," Derek rasped.

Penelope grinned as she dropped the fabric; she _felt_ beautiful. Every time he looked at her, his expression was adoring and lusty all at the same time. How could she feel anything but sexy in his presence?

He turned to face her and let his grip go, reaching instead for her. She stepped forward and seized his hand, carefully stepping over the side of the spacious bathtub. Immediately, she shrieked. "Ooooooh," she said with a shiver. "Cold!"

Derek chuckled. "Sorry about that," he said, turning around and adjusting the water to a warmer temperature.

She sighed. "Better," she said as he turned back to face her once again. "Much…" Her eyes lowered until she found his arousal. "_Much_ better."

Penelope fell to her knees before him, taking the tip of his cock eagerly between her lips. She sucked once—hard—before he felt her tongue swirl around his length. God, it had been so long he was afraid he'd explode immediately. Just the feel of her hot mouth on him was almost enough to get him off. One thing was for certain—when it came to giving head, Penelope Garcia took the damn cake. She tilted her head back just a bit, peeking up at him from underneath her lashes. As soon as he saw the passion in those baby blues, he knew it was over. He hissed as he watched his cock disappear between her lips, his hips moving helplessly in time with her mouth. His climax slammed into his body, and with a grunt, he felt himself explode in her mouth. She never missed a beat; she kept going until she'd swallowed every drop. Instead of standing, she pulled her mouth away and replaced it with her hand, stroking him until he was hard again; it didn't take long. Only when he was fully aroused did she move to stand before him.

"My turn," she said huskily.

Derek put a hand behind her knee and positioned her leg so her foot was resting on the border of the tub. "My pleasure," he said with a sexy smirk, his lips crashing down onto hers just as he thrust two fingers inside of her. He broke their kiss with a curse. "You weren't kidding. You're soaked," he said appreciatively.

She lifted an eyebrow as she nodded at him. "And it has nothing to do with the water," she teased.

Derek grinned at her, bending at the knees so he was at just the right angle to take her. With a single thrust he filled her, and Penelope felt her body begin to tremble. "Oh, God," she groaned as her upper body sagged against the wall of the shower. Derek's hands gripped her hips, keeping her lower body in place as he plunged in and out of her.

"Oh," he said as his eyes closed. Penelope should have closed hers, but when she'd looked up at him before, she'd desperately wanted to watch him come. She hadn't been able to get a good enough look at him; she was determined to do so now. Until she felt her body start to thrum in anticipation of its climax.

"Oh, God," she said again. "Derek!" She reached behind her, her hands moving into fists trying to grip the wall. But it wasn't a mattress; there were no blankets—there was _nothing_ to hold on to. Without thinking, her hand grabbed the shower curtain and tugged; the rod promptly fell.

To her delight, it didn't slow Derek down at all. He kept going as if nothing had happened. She lifted her hands to his shoulders when she became lightheaded, and then let out a light chuckle when she realized she still had the shower curtain in her hand. She let it fall as her fingernails dug into Derek's bicep.

The foot that had been resting on the edge of the tub lifted until her leg was wrapped around him. She cried out as he filled her over and over again, her body bucked as it reached for its release. She forgot all about watching him; her eyelids closed and she saw flashes of light as her climax engulfed her, her body tingling from head to toe as her body shook.

"Derek," she whimpered as she felt his entire body tense just moments before he came inside of her.

Her body draped against his, spent after the release she'd been waiting too long for.

"Penelope?" Derek said huskily.

She lifted her forehead from his shoulder. "Yeah?"

He pointed to the shower curtain on the floor outside of the bathtub and grinned. "_You _can be the one to explain that to you brother."

She threw her head back with a hearty laugh and it was then Derek knew…forever wasn't going to be long enough with her.


	6. Chapter 5

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews for last chapter, all! ~ Angie

* * *

**

The room Penelope was staying in was clearly holding Sarah's furniture from her previous apartment. She was sitting at the vanity doing her make up, and Derek was standing behind her—it was weird, him invading her space like this. He was studying his reflection as he used his electric razor. If she had her way, he'd lose the razor and walk around with the stubble for a little while. It was sexy on him, and somehow intimate to know she had to see him first thing in the morning if she was going to catch a glimpse of it.

Their time had been so fleeting in Chicago that she hadn't even considered the little things. It was surprising to her that she was even considering them now! After all, their time here was even shorter.

She had to force herself to keep her eyes on her own reflection; he, on the other hand, seemed to be having no problem. Or so she thought…

Out of nowhere, Derek leaned down and nuzzled his nose against the side of her neck. "Damn, you're sexy," he told her.

She giggled nervously, trying to focus as she swept her lilac colored lipstick on. She pursed her lips, rubbing them together to even out the color. "Then how come you never looked me up?" she blurted. _Damn! _Why, oh, _why_ had she said that?

"You didn't want me to," he reminded her.

"Right," she said quickly, nodding her head fervently. "Right."

"Have you…changed your mind about that?" he asked carefully, continuing to move the razor over his face.

"No," she insisted.

He nodded. "OK." He was quiet for a moment. "Are you…_sure_ about that?"

"Yes," she answered too quickly.

He stepped forward, placing his hands on the sides of her chair. He leaned forward, his eyes in the mirror locked on hers. "3477 Pinkerton Drive," he said in a low voice.

Penelope gasped. "How did you know where I live?" she asked.

"Because I 'looked you up,'" he informed her with a smirk.

"I asked you not to," she said.

"No, you didn't," he reminded her. "You just said we shouldn't swap contact information. You never said I shouldn't look you up. And clearly…" He grinned widely. "You wanted me to."

"I _said_ I didn't," she carried on.

He shrugged. "OK," he said doubtingly.

"I _didn't!_"

"I'll tell you one thing, though," he said, tossing his toiletries haphazardly back into their case. "You'll give me your damn phone number before I let you leave here."

"I will _not_," she said, spinning around in the little swivel chair. "And what do you mean…"_let _me leave here?'"

He dropped the little black bag back on the bed before turning to face her. "Sure you will," he said boldly, ignoring her question. "Even if I have to drag it out of you…" He leaned down and gently moved her hair behind her shoulder, placing a soft kiss behind her ear. "One…" He moved to her cheek. "Digit…" …moved to the corner of her lips. "At a time."

She lifted her lips to his, her eyelids fluttering closed, but he pulled away. She groaned in protest.

"Ooh," he said, picking his bag up off the bed. "This is going to be _easier_ than I thought."

And with that, he walked out of her room.

_Dammitt! _He was right! She'd nearly rattled off her phone number.

* * *

Later that evening at dinner, they'd originally planned to seat the women together, then the men, but Payton and Desiree—who'd been separated while he'd been away for work—were reluctant to part. Even for a meal. Penelope thought it was a bit sappy, but made the decision to excuse them. They were, after all, newlyweds. They were allowed to be a bit pathetic.

The couples took their seats, and she ended up with Derek directly across from her. They started off by ordering a few bottles of wine, then, after placing their orders, started conversing about the wedding. Or, more specifically, the fact that Sarah was pleased to be entering what she viewed as the next phase of her life.

"So, what about you two?" Desiree asked, turning to Penelope and Derek. "Do you ever think about getting hitched?"

"Ex...excuse me?" Penelope asked, shocked. Was the fact that she was sleeping with Derek written all over her face?

"Well, you said last night that you were dating someone," Jessica reminded her.

"Oh," Penelope said, forcing away that flustered feeling. "_Right_." She emphasized the word by pointing her finger in the air. From across the table, she could feel Derek's gaze on her. She knew he was enjoying every minute of this. _She_ was getting grilled, and he was just going to sit there soaking it all up. Women always got the crap end of the deal when it came to being single. Why did men never get interrogated about such matters?

"We never got to finish our conversation last night," Helena chimed in. "Tell us some more about this man you're dating."

"Oh, there's not really much to tell," Penelope said evasively, taking a long swallow of her wine. The thing about lying was—if you _had _to do it—you wanted to tell as few lies as possible in order to keep them all straight.

"Is he…potential marriage material?" Desiree asked.

Sweet Lord. The woman fit in so well with the rest of the family! Already she was grilling her. Had they _trained _her?

"Mmm…not really," Penelope admitted.

"Then why are you wasting your time?" Sarah asked with a frown.

"Well…" Penelope said, determined to get them off her back once and for all. "He's a really good lay."

She looked up when Derek began to choke on his wine, struggling to hold back his mirth. While her brothers were all over _that _subject like bees on honey, Derek grinned at her, his eyes dancing in appreciation.

"Oh, look!" Penelope said loudly so she could be heard over her brothers. "Salad and breadsticks are here!"

* * *

Her brother's had finally let the subject drop—a temporary reprieve, she was sure—and they'd moved on to something else. No one would let her get a word in edgewise. They were probably worried pandemonium would break forth again if they let her speak, so she just sat there enjoying her wine watching as everyone else interacted.

She noticed that Derek was that he didn't talk a lot; he tended to take things in. When he did speak, however, it was usually to offer some insight to the topic at hand.

More than once she'd looked up and caught him staring at her. If _she'd_ been caught, she'd have looked away blushing. But not him—he'd give her a shameful grin, followed by a wink, usually, and continue to study her. He'd even tapped the toe of her shoe with his a time or two. it may have been childish, but she couldn't lie—it had made her heart skip a beat.

When she looked up and he wiggled her eyebrows at her, she had to hold back a giggle. But she couldn't hold back the dam of thoughts that burst forth…like…what would it be like to 'belong' to Derek Morgan—to have _him_ belong to her? And not just a few sultry nights here and there…but for_ever._


	7. Chapter 6

**Author's Note: Thanks so much for the reviews for the last chapter, all! Here's the next installment—I hope you enjoy it! ~ Angie

* * *

**

The next day was the day before the wedding, and Sarah—always thinking—split what needed to be done up into two lists—and then proceeded to split the men and the women up. It was a good thing no one asked her, because as far as Penelope was concerned, the idea sucked. This was, after all, her day and night with Derek. And now she was wondering what on Earth she'd been thinking hopping into bed with him again like that. It had been hard enough leaving him the first time. She was silly to think she could do it again—with no feelings involved. The fact of the matter was, Penelope was a 'feeling' kind of gal—if there was a feeling to be had, she probably was in possession of it.

The first thing on the women's list was to pick up Sarah's mother, Fran, from the airport. Somehow, Penelope had ended up in the very back of the Yukon with the woman, and she could swear she was sizing her up. Which was ridiculous! It had to be her guilty conscience, right? She was—after all—'banging' the woman's son. So Penelope spend the entire ride silently begging her face not to turn that crimson color it seemed to be so fond of—that would _definitely_ make Fran Morgan suspicious.

* * *

Derek Morgan was exhausted—he hadn't realized that men could shop so much. And then they'd had to tie those miniature mesh pieces of fabric closed with teeny-tiny ribbons. He sighed—he hated to be sexist, but dammitt, it had taken them three hours to do get them all done! The women, with their dainty little fingers, could probably have finished in half an hour. He knew one thing…when he looked around at that reception tomorrow, every person in that place better be eating mints!

All he wanted to do was to get back to the house and see if maybe he and Penelope could get in a few stolen moments before tomorrow…when they would part again. It had been sheer luck that had brought them together this time. Who knew when—or even _if_—he'd get to see her again?

* * *

Penelope yawned as she made her way up the stairs. It was nine o'clock and she was damn near beat. Who knew that you could get so much accomplished in one day? That Sarah was one motivated woman. In all of her life, Penelope would probably never get that much done in a single day again. Thank God it was over. Paxton had just left to bring Sarah to the hotel, and Penelope wanted to see if she could get some quick alone time in with Derek before her brother returned. But before going to his room, she was going to stop off and change into something more…comfortable.

With another yawn, she pushed the guest room door open and gasped—she was wide awake now! There were at least two dozen small tea lights illuminating the room—not extravagant by any means, but they didn't really have time for it right now. "What is all _this_?" she asked, hurriedly approaching the bed, struggling not to step on any of the red foil wrapped, heart-shaped Dove chocolates that led the way to the bed.

Derek rose to his knees on the edge of the mattress and she stopped short—he looked so sexy in nothing but his red silk boxers. "Happy Valentine's Day," he said in that low voice of his.

She grinned, touched by his thoughtfulness. "What if Paxton had walked in?" she asked.

Derek chuckled. "Then this would have ended a _lot_ differently," he answered, holding his hand out to her.

She stepped forward and reached for his hand, then stumbled against him as he gave a solid tug. "I have a bone to pick with you," he growled.

She couldn't help but giggle. "What's that?" she asked.

"You didn't think I was going to be here, and yet you brought _this_?" he asked accusingly, reaching down beside him and holding up a cream-colored, thigh-length nighty. There were hot pink hearts scattered all over the fabric, and the matching panties hung from his index finger.

Penelope couldn't help but blush. "Just because a girl doesn't have someone to spend the holiday with doesn't mean she doesn't want to feel sexy," she explained.

He ran his hand down her bare arm and grinned wickedly. "Trust me," he said huskily. "You _feel_ sexy."

She grabbed the ensemble from him and headed for the door. "Now I'm going to go and get looking sexy," she purred over her shoulder at him.

"You already do," he said to her back as she left the room.

* * *

Heavy petting, that's what this was, and Penelope really had had enough of it. "Derek," she said breathlessly as he ran his tongue along the curve between her neck and shoulder. "Pax is going to be back soon, and—"

"And what?" he asked.

"I really want—"

Her eyes flew open when his mouth left her and he switched positions. He had effectively trapped her beneath him with his thighs. She was flat on her back, and he was straddling her, his knees now even with her waist.

She tried to shift positions under his uncomfortable stare, but he squeezed his thighs and she was unable to even shimmy. "You know shit like this doesn't happen every day, right?" Derek said softly.

"'Shit like this?'" Penelope repeated with a grin. "Are ya shooting for forever, Derek? Because I gotta tell ya, 'shit like this' doesn't sound like forever."

"You know what I'm shooting for, because I'm _telling_ you. I don't know that I'm shooting for forever—" A lie, he knew, but the last thing he wanted was to scare her away. "But I'm at least shooting past tomorrow night! I have no idea what _you _want. And you know as well as I do, the words don't matter. Shit like this…love of a lifetime…it's all the same."

Penelope nearly burst out laughing. It really was incredulous the difference between men's and women's perceptions. To her—and to many of her friends, she was sure—'shit like this' and 'love of a lifetime' were not, in fact, all the same.

"Derek," she said huskily. "With you on top of me, it's _impossible_ for me to see past right now."

Like lightning, he'd rolled off of her to lie beside her, his arm locked around her waist. He may have moved, but it was obvious he still wasn't going to let her escape this conversation. "I'm off you," he growled.

"Can I at least roll up onto my side?" she asked amused. He loosened his grip, allowing her to shift positions, but gripped her once again when it was clear she was comfortable. "This really isn't the best time for this conversation. Pax could be home at any moment, and—" She lifted her hand and ran a single finger up the center of his chest. "We could be doing something much more constructive."

His hand seized hers. "You're constantly trying to distract me with sex," he accused.

"That's because it's proved to be effective in the past," she reminded him.

"Penelope, if—"

There was a knock on the door. "Penelope," her brother called.

"Just a—"

The door opened and Penelope flew into a sitting position. "Paxton—"

"Downstairs. _Now_," he growled. He gave Derek a pointed look. "Both of you."

Penelope's eyes widened and she looked at Derek, her expression perfectly mirroring what he was thinking: _Fuck_!


	8. Chapter 7

**Author's Note: First of all...let me just say: Wow! The response to the last chapter was amazing. Thank you so much for all of the reviews...you all make me wish I could write a mile a minute! LOL I hope you enjoy this chapter as much. Hold onto your hats. There's a bit of angst in store for our favorite couple. :( ~ Angie**

* * *

"You didn't hear him coming up the stairs?" Penelope hissed as she frantically moved about the room blowing out candles.

"What do _you_ think?" Derek asked, pulling on his jeans.

She scoffed. "Some FBI agent _you_ are! I thought you guys had…amazing…skills and...powers of…intuition," she said with a wave of her arm.

"I wasn't using my 'powers of intuition' right then," Derek snapped as he tugged his t-shirt over his head.

"Ya don't say?" Penelope shot back sarcastically.

Derek sighed as he moved from candle to candle, helping her blow them out. When they were finally all extinguished, he walked over to her and gently held her in place by her upper arms. "We're not doing anything wrong," he reminded her softly as he looked down at her.

She took a deep breath. "I know. It's just—after my parents died, my brothers made it their business to look out for me."

"We weren't doing anything wrong," he repeated. "In fact, I thought if felt pretty damn right," he asserted.

She grinned up at him. "Yes, well…'shit like this' doesn't come along every day," she teased.

Derek winced. "Not my best choice of words," he admitted. "I just…I don't know what to say to you, Penelope, to make it so you want more."

She looked up at him, unblinking. "I need to get dressed," she finally whispered. Derek sighed in resignation, then let go of her arms. Apparently, there _were_ no words.

* * *

Penelope walked into the living room after Derek, and hesitantly, she took the cushion beside him on the sofa. She was glad to see that Sarah was here—maybe Paxton wouldn't be as brutal with her as a witness.

"So…what exactly is going on here?" Paxton asked angrily.

No such luck. "We're sleeping together," Penelope muttered.

"I didn't even know you two were _dating! _And…what about the guy you're seeing back in Boston?" Her brother demanded.

"I may have made him up to…put everyone at ease about leaving me alone with—" She nodded her head towards Derek. "_Him."_

"This is…this is ridiculous. Ladies do not have casual sex, Penelope!" Paxton said.

Derek who had remained quiet up until this point had to speak. "She's 38. She can do whatever she wants to do."

Penelope gave him a surprised look. She'd never told him how old she was before. So, either he'd snooped through her wallet, or he'd done a more thorough check on her than she'd originally thought.

"I didn't ask to hear from you," Paxton snapped. "And by the way…what are your intentions with my sister?"

"Once you leave, I'd like to finish what we started," he snapped back, his temper clearly ready to blow.

"We're just sleeping together," Penelope insisted.

"Really? Because what I heard was that you're getting married," Paxton said.

A look of disbelief came over Penelope's face, and she practically roared her next word. "WHAT?"

Derek looked at Penelope, her cheeks flushed with anger as she sprung to her feet—and a bit of embarrassment. For God's sake. Marriage? Was her brother insane? She needed to clear this up before he and Derek realized they were very nearly on the same page.

Clearly Penelope was used to fighting with her brothers. And she was a woman—she knew they wouldn't do anything to hurt her. Derek didn't have the same luxury. As far as they were concerned, he was the man 'banging' their sister. Or at least—that's how it would probably be worded by the time Paxton passed the information on.

He watched as Penelope rose up to her tiptoes until she was practically nose to nose with her brother. "Newsflash, Paxton! Baby sister _ain't_ so baby anymore! I'll sleep with whoever I want to!"

"Paxton—" Sarah started.

"Stay out of this!" Paxton said angrily. "This is between _me_—" He swept his arm towards Penelope and Derek. "And _them_!"

"He's my brother," she reminded him.

"Exactly!"

When Sarah visibly flinched, Derek decided he'd had enough. "Hey!" he said, finally jumping to his own feet. "A little respect here! You might not like me, but _I'd _never talk to _your _sister like that!"

"Oh, no. Of course not," Paxton said bitterly. "You'd just sweet talk her into your bed and then go on your merry fucking way back to Virginia."

Derek stood there for a minute, clenching and unclenching his fists as he tried to reign in his temper. Did everyone really think so lowly of him that he'd just take anyone to bed and then leave her while she was sleeping? He was _so_ over that. It was a long time before he finally spoke. "Fuck you," he said. He walked past Paxton—giving him a solid shove with his shoulder on the way by—and out the front door, slamming it behind him.

Penelope couldn't believe she didn't have steam coming out of her ears. She was actually more surprised _not_ to see it than she would have been to see it. "You are so out of line that it's not even _funny_, Paxton," she said lowly, taking off after Derek.

* * *

He was halfway down the street when she ran down the front steps. "Derek!" she yelled. Either he was ignoring her, or he hadn't heard her. She was pretty sure he wouldn't ignore her, so she yelled again, louder this time. "Derek!"

He turned around and stood there as she rushed up to him. "What the hell are you doing out here, Penelope? It's freezing," he snapped when she finally caught up to him. He'd grabbed his jacket off the hook when he'd left, but hers had been upstairs.

"I—I came to calm you down," she told him.

"Why?" he asked angrily, pulling his coat off and putting it roughly around her shoulders. "Why bother? Don't you just want me when we're in bed?"

"You're mad at _me_?" she asked in disbelief.

"Fuck, yes, I'm mad at you! I've been bending over backwards trying to get you to see me after this weekend, and you won't even hear of it! I tried in Chicago, too. I guess I should have know better! God, I ask you a question, and all you can say is, 'ooh baby, ooh baby, right there!'"

Penelope's jaw dropped and her eyes narrowed. "That's because every time you ask me a damn question, either your hands are all over me, or you're inside of me! What am I _supposed_ to do?"

Derek shook his head and glared at her. "Just go back inside," he said.

She returned his glare with one of her own, whipped his coat off her shoulders, and threw it at him before turning and stalking away.

* * *

By the time she made it back to the house, Penelope was furious. The only thing she could think of was letting Paxton have it—and she did. The second she walked through the front door.

"Pen—"

She was talking before he could even finish, stalking towards him with her index finger already poised for pointing. She shoved it against his chest when she reached him. "I'll have you know that Derek didn't talk his way into my bed. In fact, he tried so hard to stay _out_ of it, that until I finally stripped down to my underwear and tackled him, he wouldn't even look at me! _I _talked _my_ way…into _his_ bed. I left him standing in that hotel room in Chicago practically begging me for my number! But I didn't give it to him. Because despite his every attempt to prove otherwise, there was still this niggling little thought in the back of my brain that thought he could be playing me. Because you all fed me a line of bull shit and I bought it—hook, line, and sinker. Well…no more!" she said furiously.

Penelope stomped her way up the stairs to the guest room—childish, she knew, but it made her feel a bit better—and proceeded to fume. She needed to talk to Derek, but he'd have to come back in order for that to happen. She didn't have his number, and she'd be damned if she was going to go back downstairs to ask for it! So she picked the Dove chocolates up off the floor, gathered the tea lights together, and then sat down on the bed to do her least favorite thing…wait.

An hour later, Derek still hadn't returned, and she was losing hope that he was even going to bother. For all she knew, he was going to have Sarah bring his things to the wedding tomorrow. She sighed and turned when something caught the corner of her eye. She reached down for one of the chocolates and opened it up, popping the dark confection into her mouth and then turning the wrapper over.

_Smile before bed. You'll sleep better._

Penelope sighed. Fat chance.


	9. Chapter 8

**Thank you all so much for the reviews for last chapter! ~Angie**

* * *

When Penelope awoke the next morning, she threw back the curtains in the guest room and sighed. Gloomy and gray…fitting. The weather reflected her mood. After waiting for hours, Derek had never come back last night. Her sleep had been restless, as if she'd still been awaiting his return.

She heard Pax moving around, but she still didn't want to talk to him. She was a grown woman, for God's sake, and he was trying to dictate her life! On the other hand, she _did_ need her morning coffee. And she certainly wasn't going to miss out on that because her brother was being a jerk. So she pulled on her bathrobe and made her way down to the kitchen.

As soon as she walked into the room, Pax practically ambushed her. She laughed in disbelief, glad to see his tux was hanging from the hook by the door. That meant he was getting ready to leave, and she really couldn't wait for him to leave. "Pen—" her brother started as she began pouring her coffee.

She held up her hand and gave him a stern glare. "Pax, my anger hasn't diffused any. If anything, it's worse because..._I_ didn't sleep a wink last night." She took a deep breath before continuing, letting her hand drop. "I'm _going_ to your wedding today because you're my brother, and I love you. And…eventually I'm going to stop being pissed, and then I'll be even _more_ pissed if I miss your wedding. So really, this is just a preemptive move to not be angry with _myself_. So please…back off, and don't…try to hug me," she said disdainfully.

"Pen—"

"And don't you dare say anything to Derek about what happened last night," she warned. "Because that'll just piss me off even more. In fact you may want to consider apologizing. I'll see you at the church." With that, she took her mug and made her way back up the stairs to get ready for the wedding—and hopefully…Derek.

* * *

When she was ready for the wedding and Derek still hadn't shown she walked into the room he'd been staying in to find all of his things were there. With a sigh, she grabbed the notepad and pen off the dresser, scribbled him a quick note, and slipped it into his toiletry case. Hopefully he'd at least come back for it before he left.

* * *

He was avoiding her. He'd _been_ avoiding her ever since the ceremony. If the wedding was bigger, she wouldn't have been so convinced, but there were less than fifty people here—surely he'd have found a moment to talk to her if he'd wanted to. So she sat at her table, alone, wine glass in hand while one of the typical wedding songs played in the background. Thank _God_ they'd gotten the YMCA out of the way earlier in the evening. Hopefully it wouldn't be played again.

"Penny?"

She started when she heard her name, and then grinned as she turned around. "Jacob Carlson," she said, standing. "How the heck are ya?" she asked as she leaned forward to hug him. Jacob had been Paxton's best friend the entire time they'd been growing up; he was like a fifth brother to her. Not that she really needed one.

He grinned at her, a disarming grin for many women, sure, but she knew him too well for that. "I'll tell ya while we dance," he told her.

She laughed as he took his hand and let him lead the way.

* * *

Derek's eyes followed Penelope as she was led onto the dance floor. He tried to take comfort in the fact that the guy—whoever he was—had approached _her_ and not the other way around. But the way she was practically beaming was making it incredibly hard. Not to mention the fact that the woman set a new standard for the 'little black dress.' She was clearly dressed to kill. The square neckline was low enough so her cleavage was shown off. The sleeves were capped, and the skirt stopped mid-thigh, revealing a healthy dose of her sexy legs that had been wrapped around him on more than one occasion—thighs that had constricted against his waist while she'd been coming. He lifted his glass of wine to his lips and watched her laugh as she was swept around the dance floor, and then, when her partner pulled her closer, her eyes caught his, and her smile disappeared.

It really figured, he thought, his gaze leveled on hers until she finally looked away. When he finally met a woman with whom he wanted more, she was the female version of _him_. Karma really _was_ a bitch. Well, he'd had enough of this. From now on, it was going to be 'love 'em and leave 'em' Derek. Sure, maybe he'd be a little lonely, but it sure as _hell_ beat this feeling.

"Hey, little brother," Sarah said as she walked up beside him.

He looked at her, grinning at the sight. "You look gorgeous, Sarah," he told her.

She smiled back at him. "So you said." She grabbed her brother's hand. "Show your big sister you can dance," she teased, dragging him onto the dance floor. It was really the last place he wanted to be—in closer proximity to Penelope.

Doing his best to avoid her, Derek leaned down and placed a kiss on his sister's cheek. "The dick's not good enough for you," he growled. "But congratulations anyway."

"He apologized, Derek," she reminded him. He didn't say anything, and it was silent for a moment before she spoke again. "Don't go like this, Derek," Sarah begged. "Don't leave _her_."

Derek glanced at Penelope, forcing his expression to remain neutral. She didn't look at all like she was missing out on anything—and she certainly didn't look heartbroken. "She'll be fine," he insisted.

Sarah smiled sadly. "If you _believe_ that, then you underestimate yourself."

"_This_ from the woman who informed her what a player I am," he teased.

Sarah winced. "Maybe _I_ was _mis_informed," she admitted.

Derek shook his head. "You weren't," he said. "I couldn't wait to get her into bed again, but I never wanted it to go any further than that."

"I don't believe that," Sarah said firmly. "Look, I may love Pax, but it doesn't mean I don't know what an ass he can be. He wasn't nice to you, Derek. And those things he said to you…they _weren't_ true."

"Sure they were," he said.

Sarah sighed. "Do you really have to be like this?"

Derek grinned humorlessly. "I'm a jerk who was looking to get lucky, Sar," he said. "That's all there is to it. Now…goodbye. I love you." The song ended, and Derek gave his sister one last hug, then headed off the dance floor.

* * *

There was something in his expression…a finality of sorts that jarred Penelope. "Excuse me, Jacob," she said abruptly, stepping out of his arms and practically chasing Derek off the dance floor. If she thought she'd had the time, she would have kicked her heels off. But she couldn't take that chance, so instead she sped up. "Derek," she said breathlessly when they'd made it into the lobby of the building.

He turned around so quickly that she almost bumped into him. "You never came home last night," she said softly, her eyes falling on his suitcase. It was sitting beneath the coat rack; apparently he'd waited until everyone had gone and then returned for it.

"Yes, well, I assumed your brother hadn't left," he said dryly.

She nervously clutched her dress as she took a deep breath. "Look, Derek, all of those things you said—"

"Forget it," he interrupted. "We barely even know each other. I was stupid to think we could have anything more than great sex."

Penelope froze, studying his face for a moment. "But you said—"

"Forget everything I said," he told her. "I was stupid."

"You weren't _stupid_," she argued. "You were being honest, and I—"

"Look, all I was doing was telling you what I thought you wanted to hear so I could get laid," he said, shifting his stance.

"That's not true!"

He nodded. "It _is_ true. As it turns out, you should have believed all that shit you heard about me." He looked outside when he heard a honking sound, then turned to drink in the sight of her one last time. "There's my taxi," he said, picking up his suitcase. "Goodbye, Penelope."


	10. Chapter 9

**As always, thanks for the reviews! =D You guys rock! ~ Angie**

* * *

Derek Morgan threw himself wholeheartedly back into work. It was what he'd always done when things got rough. And they _were_ rough for him. For the first time in his life, he'd considered forever. Only to be shot down. It really served him right for waiting so long. If he'd done it when he was younger, maybe he'd be used to being shot down. As it was, it was something that rarely happened to him. And the truth was it'd never bothered him before. _Because it's never been Penelope! _his mind screamed. He chose to ignore it.

There had constantly been another woman in the wings, so he'd always gone on his merry way and onto the next one. He'd always been the one to walk away, and he'd ignorantly believed that when he finally met someone with whom he wanted more, she'd be just as willing as he. He realized now how selfish, and if he was being honest with himself, how much of a jerk that made him.

He sighed as he pushed through one last mile on the treadmill, and then stepped off the machine, breathing heavily. He didn't usually run at such a high speed—he'd been hoping that if he ran fast enough, he wouldn't be able to think. No such luck. Memories of Penelope still plagued him. Even in sleep, he was unable to escape her. Granted, it had only been seven days, but still—he'd always been single-minded. So why couldn't rid himself of thoughts of Penelope?

* * *

After gathering his things from his gym locker, Derek showered, and then made his way to the floor that was home to the Behavioral Analysis Unit. As soon as he walked into the bullpen he heard JJ say, "We have a case."

Thank _God_! He'd never been so happy to go on the road.

* * *

There really wasn't much evidence, and nothing they could do but wait. It really sucked when someone else had to die to give them more to go on, but unfortunately, that was how it worked sometimes.

Yawning, he unzipped the side pocket on his go-bag and groaned. "Fuck." His toiletry case wasn't in there—and he knew _exactly _where it was. Still in the front of the suitcase he'd used when he'd gone to his sister's wedding. He grabbed his wallet from his back pocket, made sure his hotel room keycard was in there, and then went to find the vending machine he'd seen just a few minutes ago when they'd arrived.

* * *

"You have got to be fucking kidding me," he hissed a few minutes later. _Eight dollars for a toothbrush? _With a sigh, he slid his credit card into the appropriate slot, and then waited as the machine dispensed his new better-be-laced-with-gold toothbrush. He drew the line at paying six dollars for a travel tube of toothpaste. Not when Emily's room was right next door to his. People would have to deal with his five o'clock shadow tomorrow. He wasn't paying twenty-three dollars for shaving cream and a razor. It was like being robbed willingly, for God's sake!

Derek made his way to Emily's room and knocked. He heard her open the deadbolt before she pulled the door open. "Hey," she greeted in her usual friendly manner.

"Hey," he returned.

"What brings you to _my _room?" she asked in a mockingly seductive tone.

Derek laughed as he held up his toothbrush.

"Oh," Emily said with a groan. "Hotel vending machine?"

Derek nodded.

"Been there," she told him as she stepped aside so he could enter her room. "You didn't buy the toothpaste, did you?" she asked in a near panic.

"No," he answered with a chuckle. "That's why I'm here."

She nodded. "Good. You can brush your teeth in my bathroom," she told him.

"Thanks," Derek said, opening his new toothbrush as he walked across her room. He wetted his toothbrush, put the paste on the bristles, and then took the appropriate thirty seconds per quadrant before walking back into Emily's room. "Thanks," he said.

"Not a problem," she assured him.

He smiled at her, and then made his way toward the door.

"Morgan?" she asked. "Is everything OK?"

Derek shrugged. "Sure. Why wouldn't it be?"

"I don't…" She took a deep breath, forcing herself to go on. She knew how private Derek was and hated to pry, but at the same time, she wanted him to know she was there if he felt the need to talk. "I don't _know_ why it wouldn't be, but something has seemed off since you came back from your sisters wedding."

"Do you want to go get a drink?" he asked hurriedly.

She grinned. "Sure."

* * *

A few hours later, she and Morgan were in the bar of the hotel—along with Reid and JJ. He'd called them immediately, and Emily had a feeling it was because he didn't want to talk about whatever was happening with him. That was the entirely wrong thing to do. She'd been willing to let it go before, but now she was too interested to find out what the hell was going on!

It wasn't long before Emily concluded that his situation revolved around a woman. That was new for her friend…usually the only problem he had with women was getting them out of his bed fast enough. So when Reid and JJ headed to the bar to get refills, she swooped in on him. "Talk to me," she instructed.

Derek sighed as he absently played with the label on the neck of his beer. "What do you mean?" he asked, taking a long swig.

"At least six women have hit on you—all perfect tens, I might add. And I don't think you even noticed," she said amused. "_That _indicates that there is a _huge_ problem."

He grinned at her. "Maybe I'm hot for _you_," he said, lifting an eyebrow.

"OK, first of all…eeew. Second of all…" She scrunched up her nose. "Eeeeeew! What the hell, Morgan?"

He waved his hand. "And _there_ it is," he said wryly. "_No _one thinks I'm keeper material."

Emily frowned. "OK, that—that's not why I 'eeeewed,'" She informed him. "_You_ are a great guy. Definite keeper material. But—_not_ for me." She shuddered. "You're too much like a brother. That's just…" She shuddered again. "Eeeew."

Derek laughed, but Emily's expression went solemn. "Talk to me," she said again, lower this time. The concern in her voice was evident.

Derek smiled gloomily at her and shook his head as Reid and JJ returned to the table. She knew the conversation was over, but that wasn't all she'd figured out.

Her friend was heartbroken.

* * *

Penelope crawled beneath the covers and tried to will herself not to cry. It was obvious that Derek wasn't going to call. Seven days had passed, and if what she'd written in her note had had any impact on him, surely he'd have called her by now. She'd tried to let him know that she did feel the same way—that she _was_ falling for him, too, but it had been too late. The words Paxton had said had really hurt him, and Derek had wanted nothing more to get away from him _and_ her.

She supposed she could blame her brother for all of this, but the fact of the matter was that if she'd stepped up sooner and revealed her feelings to him, Derek never would have walked out. She knew him well enough to know _that. _

So instead of crawling into bed with his nice, warm body to cradle her tonight, she crawled into cold, crisp blankets. And stopped fighting her tears.


	11. Chapter 10

**Author's Note: Once again, thank you guys for all of the reviews! Your words warm my heart! Cheesy, I know, but they do! ~ Angie**

* * *

So far she'd been on three dates this week, and every single one of them had said the same thing: Blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. OK, maybe that wasn't fair. They hadn't all _said_ the same thing, but that was what she'd heard. Her friend's reaction to her plight was to put her on as many dates as possible until she forgot about 'that guy.' If he hadn't called yet, then he wasn't worthy of her. So she'd gone just to pacify them…and to pass the time. No sense in staying home pining over a man who wasn't going to call. Not when you could do it while on a date!

Her friends had also agreed that she should hop into bed with someone else the first chance she got. Well, _that_ wasn't likely. Any man who touched her now was going to be the sorry encore for Derek's expert lovemaking.

But deep down, Penelope knew that it wasn't true; Derek _was_ worthy of her. Her friends were just fiercely loyal to her. So loyal, apparently, that they'd lie to her to try and make her feel better. But it hadn't worked. She felt horrible. She knew that no matter what she'd written in that note, it couldn't convey what was in her heart. It didn't have any tone…it didn't have her pleading eyes!

All she wanted was to see Derek—to tell him that she was absolutely crazy about him. And then, if he ran screaming in the other direction at the thought of commitment, at least she'd know that he'd run away with the knowledge of how she felt about him—she wouldn't be able to blame herself for not being honest. And that was what was really killing her.

Was it him keeping them apart…or was it _her_?

Either way, he wasn't here. So Penelope pasted her best fake smile on her face, crossed her legs and swung the top one back and forth as she listened to everything Travis Dildorf (seriously…people had last names like that?) had to say, and the she waited for this damn night to be over!

* * *

Derek sighed as he walked into JJ's office. She'd asked for his advice. The last time they'd left, she'd narrowed it down to two cases and wanted to know if he thought she'd picked the right one. So she'd had him check out the file for the case they hadn't taken now that they'd been back for a few days, and he'd agreed with her choice. It was a hard job she had—something he knew he'd never be able to do. He knew she saw way more cases than any of them did. It was a wonder she didn't cave under all of that information.

"I would've done the same," he said, dropping the file on her desk. "I—" He stopped midsentence, spying the familiar chocolates in the clear glass bowl on her desk. He quickly snagged one up, opened it, and promptly tossed the dark confection into her trashcan. Without wasting any time, he flattened the foil wrapper in his hands:

_Don't be afraid to shoot for the moon._

He scoffed. He was going to need a bigger sign that that if the universe expected him to believe that he and Penelope belonged together. So he reached for another chocolate, but JJ was too quick for him. She pulled the bowl away before he could grab one and gave him a pointed look.

"Uh-uh," she said, shaking her head.

"What?" Derek asked in higher than normal pitched tone.

"You didn't even eat the chocolate!" she scolded him.

"So?"

She rolled her eyes. "Everyone knows it's the first one that counts."

"The first _what_?" he asked.

"Wrapper," she said impatiently. "Whatever the first one says…_that's _what goes. You can't just open them all up until you get what you want!"

Derek gave her a confused look. "_Everyone _knows this?" he asked in disbelief.

"Well, most _women_ know," she clarified. "Obviously the men need to be told."

Derek sighed as he started to walk out of JJ's office, and then turned around with a growl. "You know what? It is _just_ like a woman to hog the chocolate!"

* * *

Twelve hours later, Derek Morgan got exactly what he'd been waiting for. At two in the a.m., he returned to his hotel room bone tired. The team had arrived late the previous afternoon for a case in Las Vegas and had just called it a day. All he wanted was to fall into bed, but as he ran his tongue over his teeth, he could practically feel the sugar coating them. He'd been drinking coffee all day long. So with heavy lidded eyes, he grabbed his toiletry case from his go bag (he hadn't forgotten it this time!) and headed into the bathroom. He reached in blindly for his toothpaste as he yawned.

"What the hell?"

He looked down at the envelope he'd just pulled out of his travel bag. He knew it was from Penelope before he even opened it—he could smell the soft scent of her perfume. He didn't waste any time—instead ripped into it much like he had the Dove chocolate in JJ's office. His eyes crinkled at the corners as he read the note:

_All ten digits...just because. 617.555.0372. _

_I missed you! Save me a dance, handsome. _

_Love,_

_Penelope_

"Now _that_ is a fuckin' sign," he said aloud…just in case the universe was listening.


	12. Chapter 11

**Author's Note: As always, thank you so much for the reviews! You guys are the best!**

**~ Angie**

* * *

It hadn't been a marriage proposal, but then, he hadn't been expecting one. It _was_ an olive branch, a piece of herself that she was giving him to let him know that while she may be scared, she wasn't going to run away from him—from _them_. He groaned as he realized that was exactly what he'd done. His pride had gotten in the way, and he'd high tailed it away from her. It was a wonder she even wanted to see him again! Or did she?

He scanned the note once more. It had obviously been written before he'd said all those horrible things to her about being who everyone warned her he was. And clearly it had been sitting in his travel case for the last two weeks. She probably thought he wasn't going to call! _That_ opened up a whole 'nother can of worms entirely: Had she moved on?

His heart had desperately wanted to stand rooted to the spot in the lobby of that building and listen to every word she'd had to say, but his pride had practically pushed him out the door. And he'd let it. Dammitt—he wished he could kick his pride in the ass right now!

One thing was abundantly clear—he needed to talk to her as soon as possible. He looked down at the note in his hand. His fingers were itching to dial her number, but he couldn't do this—not over the phone. This was definitely an in-person conversation.

However, that was easier said than done, as they'd just launched their longest case in BAU history.

* * *

Penelope walked into work feeling pretty damn good. She hadn't had a Dove chocolate in two whole days, and yesterday had been the first day she hadn't shed a single tear for Derek Morgan. She considered that a definite triumph. She'd even gone to the gym that morning—working off stress and all that. (Not to mention the ten pounds of chocolate clinging to her thighs.)

And for the first time in almost a month, she finally felt like everything was going to be OK. She didn't have any regrets. For one thing, Derek had been an amazing lover. And for another, she'd tried to tell him how she'd felt. He just hadn't wanted to listen to her. Short of pulling a gun on him and forcing him to remain rooted to the spot while she talked, there was nothing else she could've done.

She knew that Paxton's words had been scathing and had thought that maybe after Derek had some time to cool down, he'd want to talk to her then. But the call never came. And she'd made peace with that—for her own sanity, she'd had to.

* * *

"Pen?"

Penelope looked up from her computer screen at her friend Lauren.

"Yeah?" she asked.

"You ready for lunch?"

Penelope looked up at the clock. "Wow. Already?" she asked in surprise. She was working like a fiend trying to finish up a project for her boss. "Can you give me ten minutes?" Penelope continued typing, but her friend didn't answer. "Lor?" she asked, looking up. Lauren's eyes were as wide as saucers and it caused Penelope to fly up out of her chair to find whatever it was she was looking at.

Penelope's own eyes widened at what she saw, followed by the dropping of her jaw.

"That's him, isn't it?" Lauren asked softly.

"Who?" Penelope asked dumbly, not sparing her a glance. Derek looked horrible. His clothes were wrinkled as if he'd been wearing them for the last two days, and his five o'clock shadow looked like it was from five o'clock three days ago.

Her friend grinned knowingly. "The man who's had your panties in a bunch for the last month."

Penelope didn't bother to deny it…that would have taken more than one syllable, and she just didn't have it in her. Derek was quickly approaching, and she was too busy trying to figure out what she was going to say. For God's sake, she was finally back on the road to mental health. Was he here to throw her off course again? She dropped down into her chair, her mind racing.

"Penelope?" Lauren asked.

"I can't see him right now," Penelope hissed.

"Sure you can," Lauren whispered back. "I have no idea what went on between the two of you, but this couldn't have happened on a better day. You look smokin' hot!"

Penelope looked down at the outfit she'd purchased the night before: an emerald green dress with an A-line waist that ended just above her knees. She had to admit, she _did_ look pretty good in it, and it hid every one of those ten pounds she'd put on. That was why she'd bought it! But it did nothing to help calm her nerves over seeing Derek.

"Can you tell him I'm not here?" Penelope asked.

"Sure," Lauren said, turning her head with an amused grin. "If you're here to see Penelope, she says she's not here."

"Traitor," Penelope muttered as her friend walked away. She continued to look at her computer screen, even managed a few keystrokes, but it wasn't easy. Not when Derek was within reach after almost a solid month of not seeing him.

"I was a jerk," he said softly.

She tried to keep her attention focused on her monitor, but it was quickly getting blurry.

"I was mad at Paxton because he was telling me that I wasn't good enough for you. And I was mad at myself because I believed him. And then I got even more pissed at myself because you chased me out of the house and instead of letting you talk, I jumped down your throat and took my anger at your brother out on you."

She could feel his gaze on her, waiting for her to speak, but she wasn't able to. It was still sinking in that after a month, he was finally talking to her.

Then she heard him wince. "Penelope?" he begged softly. "Would you please look at me?"

She lifted her eyes, brimming with tears, to his. "What _took_ you so long?" she whispered brokenly.


	13. Chapter 12

**Hey, guys. Thanks so much for all of the reviews for last chapter! The next one should wrap up the story and then it's off to finish another story! ~ Angie**

* * *

Within seconds, he'd pulled her to her feet and wrapped his arms around her, burying his face in her hair and taking a deep breath. "I'm so sorry," he said fiercely, his voice thick with feeling.

Penelope tried to control her emotions, but she couldn't. Being that his sisters were married to her brothers, she knew she'd see him again. But she certainly hadn't thought it would be in this capacity, or so soon. The hold he had on her body tightened as her body began shaking in time with her sobs. "You're not a jerk," she wailed against his wrinkled t-shirt; luckily the fabric muffled her voice.

"What?" he asked, pulling away just enough so that he could look down at her tear streaked cheeks.

"I said you're not a jerk," she repeated firmly.

"Penelope, I love that you're trying to make me feel better, but I _was_ a jerk," he persisted.

She shook her head frantically. "No. No you weren't," she argued. "You were hurt. Paxton said all of those…awful things to you, and then there _I _was, insisting that I didn't want anything more than a…" She sighed heavily. "However many night stand," she finished. Having him standing there in front of her was seriously impairing her ability to add the number of days they'd spent together. "Which…in case you couldn't tell by my horrible display was a complete lie."

He grinned down at her, letting his grip on her waist go so he could use his thumbs to wipe at the drying tears on her cheeks. "I could tell a little," he teased.

She hiccupped on a sigh. "I don't know _why_ it was so hard for me to admit that I was falling for you."

"Are you?" he asked. "Falling for me?"

She lifted her eyes to his, hoping he wouldn't miss the sincerity in them. "Flat on my face," she admitted, her eyes filling with tears as her voice broke. "It's a done deal."

"Hey."

Penelope jumped as Lauren's voice came from behind. "God, can't you knock?"

"It's a cubicle," her friend reminded her in an amused tone, then immediately changed the subject. "I just talked to Bill. He said you can take the rest of the day off."

"I—but—I—I have things to do!" Penelope finally sputtered.

Her friend looked Derek up and down, giving an appreciative sigh as she grinned widely. "I see that." She turned to Penelope, her eyes dancing. "And trust me, there's nothing that needs to be done here, that is going to top _that_," she said, nudging her head towards Derek.

Penelope's cheeks flushed crimson at her friend's words. Honest to God. And Lauren had just had her out on dates galore less than two weeks ago.

Derek looked at Penelope. "I _like_ her," he said.

"Of course you do," Penelope muttered. Of course, _he_ didn't know about all of the fix-ups Lauren had initiated! She had a feeling that that might change Derek's perspective of her friend.

"So, anyway," Lauren said. "It was nice to meet you…" Her voice trailed off with a hint.

"Derek," he told her, extending his hand towards her.

"Lauren," she told him, returning his handshake with a hearty one of her own. "Take good care of my friend."

Derek winked at Penelope. "Count on it."

* * *

They'd left Penelope's office and made their way to the parking lot, and as soon as Derek saw her car, he began to scowl. "That's the bitch that almost ran me over the _first _time I came to see you," he practically snapped.

"Oh, really?" Penelope said, stopping in her tracks as he tried to pull her past the car.

He gave her a questioning glance.

Penelope cleared her throat. "And _this_ is the bitch who drives her," she told him in an amused tone as she pointed to herself.

"You…_you_ drive that beast?" he asked in disbelief.

She bit her lower lip as she nodded.

Derek's face broke out into a slow grin. "I'll teach you how to drive."

* * *

As soon as Derek had stepped into the shower off her bedroom, Penelope had grabbed a change of clothes and sprinted for the downstairs bathroom. She frowned as she looked at her reflection in the mirror. It was amazing Derek hadn't run the other way the second she'd begun crying. Her eyes were so puffy she could barely even see; it was no wonder he'd demanded her keys.

She turned the cold water on and let it run for a moment as she shed what she was wearing and slipped into something more comfortable. Then she splashed the water on her face, hoping it would reduce some of the puffiness. She opened her compact and put some pressed powder around her eyes to hide the blotchy skin, closed it, and then raced back up the stairs.

She wanted to be there to greet Derek when he got out of the shower.

* * *

It was one of the quickest showers he'd ever taken. He would like to have skipped it altogether, but he hadn't showered in over forty eight hours and he knew he didn't smell like roses. He'd caught a flight right from Las Vegas to Boston; the quickest one he'd found had had a four hour layover, but he'd taken it anyway.

The note Penelope had written had spent so much time un-discovered, he didn't want to take the risk that she'd moved on. And, of course, if she'd had, his game plan was to fuck it up royally as quickly as possible.

They had so much to talk about, so many plans to make. And, God…_so_ much air to clear. She may have said that he hadn't been a jerk, but he knew differently. The fact of the matter was he _had _been an ass. He'd tried to push her into making some sort of commitment to him, and when she hadn't, he'd gotten huffy. It was time to make it right.

He quickly wiped himself off, wrapped the towel around his waist, and headed for her bedroom.

He walked through the doorway and froze momentarily. Penelope had already risen to her knees on the mattress awaiting his arrival. He grinned at her attire…they must make those little nighties to celebrate every holiday imaginable. This was one was a pastel purple with soft colored Easter eggs sprinkled all over the material. He grinned as he lifted his eyes to hers.

"Lose the towel," she commanded.


	14. Chapter 13

**Author's Note: Well, this is the end of 'A Valentine Rendezvous!' I hope you've all enjoyed reading it! Thank you so much to everyone who's taken the time to read and review! **

**As promised, I will be finishing 'Upping the Ante' next. After that...it's up to you! I've put a poll on my profile asking which story you'd like to see finished most, and the one that receives the majority of the votes is the one I'll work on after 'Upping the Ante.'**

**Thanks again for reading and I hope you enjoy this last installment. (Minus a probable epilogue!)**

**~Angie**

* * *

With his sexy grin he used a single finger to dislodge the lavender towel, causing it to pool at his feet. He was already hard for her—though he was willing to concede the mere thought of her caused his body to react.

His gaze travelled from her eyes down to her chest; her rigid nipples were straining against the fabric of her nighty. When she lifted her hands and used her middle fingers to trace a path around each one, he growled. "Mine," he said greedily, striding towards the bed. She screeched as he grabbed her by the waist, hauling her closer to the edge of the mattress.

He lowered his head to her breast, covering her silk clad nipple with his mouth and giving it a tender pull with his teeth.

Her lips parted with a whimper; her eyes closed as her head fell back. Derek's mouth immediately ascended to her throat, desperate to taste her flesh. His kisses were hasty and frantic, as if he couldn't decide where to kiss her next. He'd wanted to do something they'd never done before and take it slow this time; clearly _that_ wasn't going to happen.

He kissed his way over to her collarbone, then down her arm, pausing to run his tongue over the crease of her elbow. He felt her shiver under his lips as he moved down to her wrist; he could feel her pulse racing. _Good_, he thought with a grin. He figured his own was matching it thump for thump.

He positioned himself so he was standing over her. Lifting a hand to the back of her head, he gripped her hair and tugged gently to pull her head backward. Her lips parted with a surprised gasp, and he used that moment to capture her mouth with his own. His tongue plunged forth, not satisfied with the taste of her skin he'd gotten earlier. He wanted to taste her heat—the moisture from his mouth mixing with hers. He used his tongue to lick the roof of her mouth, the insides of her cheeks. Amazingly enough, she stayed still, giving him complete control. His hands moved to cup her cheeks as he continued his slow exploration. Her fingers dug into his waist; her nails sinking into his flesh. He knew what she wanted, and he gave it to her. His tongue found hers, caressing it tenderly.

He heard her whimper, then felt warm liquid on his thumbs. He pulled back immediately, breaking their kiss. "Penelope?" he asked hoarsely when he saw the tears running down her cheeks.

"Please don't stop," she begged. "These are happy tears. I promise."

He nodded hesitantly, lowering his head to her neck giving her a gentle nuzzle. He reached for the hem of her nighty and pulled it off over her head, tossing it to the floor. She immediately moved to her back, spreading her legs so he could rest between her thighs. He leaned down using his lips to kiss away any remaining tears as his hand travelled lower until he reached the waistband of her pastel purple thongs. He slid his hand inside, hissing as the backs of his fingers brushed against the moist material between her legs; she was as wet as he was hard.

He swiftly removed the last barrier between them, then repositioned himself between her legs and slid inside of her inch by inch. It was all he could do not to drive into her; he was barely able to hold back. But the feeling of her heat wrapping around him was such a sweet reward.

He heard her moan when he'd pushed fully inside of her, and then began his slow pace. Keeping his control was a struggle; every time he filled her, a sweet moan made its way from her lips. He was able to keep the pace until he felt her soft hands on the sculpted muscles of his back. She began moving them back and forth, and as always, her touch was his undoing.

His pace quickened, sweat breaking out onto his brow as the sound of their bodies coming together filled the room. He was gritting his teeth to keep from coming when he felt her body clench around his.

"Derek…" she whimpered.

Then was when he lost control.

* * *

"I forgot my travel case on the first case I went on after Sara and Paxton's wedding," Derek told her. "I found your letter on the next case, while I was in Vegas. I wanted to call you immediately, Baby Girl, but I didn't think this conversation should happen over the phone. I needed to see you."

"I'm so glad you came," she said, giving him a soft, simple kiss on the lips.

"Me, too," he said quietly, his middle finger absently tracing a path from the valley of her breasts to her belly button and back again. "I don't want to do long distance," he decided aloud.

"Neither do I," she agreed.

He nodded. "Good. I'll talk to Hotch, my boss. With his recommendation, I should be able to get any open position at the Boston headquarters."

Penelope's heart swelled at the thought of Derek being so committed to her and she had to bite back a grin. "_No_," she said softly.

His brows furrowed in confusion. "But you said—"

She shook her head firmly. "I don't want you to give up your career for me."

He sprung up off the bed so quickly her eyes widened in surprise. "Dammitt, Penelope! Don't you fucking do this to me again!" he practically roared.

Penelope cleared her throat, the look in her eyes amusement mixed with lust. He was, after all, standing before her naked. "Derek, you're not coming here because I gave my notice at work last week," she explained. "I'm coming _there_."

"You…" He stared at her. "You what?"

She sighed. "When it became clear that you didn't want anything to do with me…I decided I needed to make some changes. Starting with my location."

As he stood there dumbfounded, a grin spread across her face.

"We'll work on the trust thing," she teased.

He winced. "Sorry," he said sincerely as he moved to join her on the bed once again.

"Don't be," she replied softly. "I haven't exactly given you many reasons to trust me."

"That's not true," he argued. "You've been straight with me from the beginning about what you wanted."

"I—but it was only what I _thought_ I wanted. You get that, right?" she asked.

He nodded.

"Good," she said feelingly. "Because I can't do this again. I can't be separated from you like this."

He grabbed her by the waist and pulled her body against his. "Better?" he teased.

"Much," she answered, wiggling to get as close to him as she possibly could. "Maybe we should take things slow," she said.

"I think that's a good idea," he agreed.

* * *

Three weeks later, Penelope moved into her own apartment in Quantico, Virginia so they could take things slowly, as planned.

Two weeks after that, Derek bought out her lease so she could move in with him.

***THE END***


	15. Epilogue

_Hmmm...I think this may be my first epilogue ever, but I thought this story deserved one! Enjoy! ~ Angie_

* * *

Penelope Garcia grinned as she pulled her bag off her shoulder and placed it on the floor beside the end table. She could hear the soft music that was coming from upstairs, a sure sign that she was about to get lucky. She couldn't hold back a giggle at that thought—just Derek being _home_ was a sure sign of lovemaking.

The last few months with him had been amazing. Certainly not perfect, but amazing. They still had lots of little things to iron out. He, for instance, was much more particular about the house than she was. She liked clutter…to her, clutter meant homey. To him, it meant messy. But she had to admit, it was fun coming up with new ways to distract him.

And then, there was the worry whenever he went out into the field. It hadn't been easy getting used to, and she had a feeling she never would, but she trusted him enough to do what he could to remain safe so he could make his way back to her.

She took off her black strappy shoes and left them by the door, then followed the trail of Dove chocolates to the stairs. That's right…most women got rose petals leading to the bedroom—if they got anything at all— but _her _man was more creative than that.

It was after dark and there were no lights on, but the single tea light on each step leading the way to her destination was enough of a glow. She was careful not to get to close to the flames as she made her way to their bedroom. Stopping outside of the closed door, she stripped down to her panties and bra—no need to make Derek undress her. She could, after all, already feel the dampness pooling between her legs. She wished she hadn't left her shoes downstairs. Derek had commented more than once how he loved those shoes on her. But…another time. Maybe later tonight, she thought with a grin.

She opened the door, ready to strike the sexiest pose possible, but before she could manage to do that, she froze. "What's all this?" she asked in surprise.

Her boyfriend had gone all out—there _were _rose petals this time. Red ones, pink ones, and white ones sprinkled in the center of the bed in the shape of a large heart. There room was filled with a delicious scent that she couldn't quite pinpoint, but it must have come from all of the lit candles spread throughout the room. To top all of it off, Derek was standing there in a pair of salmon colored boxers with a matching bow tie, and a thousand watt smile. It took a real man to rock pink like that.

"Did you have a good day at work?" he asked, his voice gravely as he looked her up and down. She could feel her nipples puckering underneath the chocolate colored lace of her bra, the matching silk between her thighs soaking with moisture.

"Derek?" she asked softly, still studying around the room.

"I wanted to ask you something," he said, walking slowly towards her.

Penelope could hear thudding of her own heartbeat…was this what she thought it was? The candles, the rose petals, the sexy salmon colored boxers…more than just a seduction?

"Are you…are you…" Penelope couldn't get the words out; she was too busy blinking back her tears. When Derek got down on one knee before her, Penelope's hand flew to her chest and she choked back a sob. "Derek…"

"Penelope Garcia," he said, every ounce of adoration he felt for her palpable in his gaze. "Will you open this Dove chocolate for me?"

Penelope hastily reached for the confection he'd presented her with and unwrapped it with shaking hands. She had to blink several times to clear her vision. When she finally did, she read the little foil wrapper aloud. "Will you marry me?" she said softly.

"I thought you'd never ask," Derek answered with a teasing grin.

When Penelope hadn't spoken for a few moments, Derek rose before her. "I can't promise that everything is going to be perfect, Penelope," he said sincerely. "In fact…the _only_ promise I'm gonna make you is that no man will ever love you as much as I do. Forever, if you'll have me," he finished tenderly.

"Oh, yes," Penelope finally said through her tears. "Yes, Derek Morgan. I'll have you!"

And the future Mrs. Morgan proceeded to do just that.


End file.
